Amon Amarth – Forging Mjölnir (Part 3/3)

Amon Amarth just made Part three of their three-part mini documentary, Forging Mjölnir, available on their micro site (deceiver.amonamarth.com). In this Part, the band discusses the struggles of tour life, recording, and their hopes for the future.

Deceiver of the Gods, Amon’s latest, was recorded at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, UK, and produced, mixed, and mastered by Andy Sneap (Cathedral, Arch Enemy, and Cradle Of Filth). Vocalist Johan Hegg explains:

“We wanted more of a live feeling to the recording and we felt that Andy’s style of producing could definitely help us with that. At the same time, knowing the records he worked on previously we felt he could probably help develop our sound so it became a little bit more angry and dangerous, without that polished sheen of our recent records.”

Guitarist Olavi Mikkonen concurs, and credits Sneap with playing a pivotal role in just how aggressive the finished product is:

“It’s rougher, and like a punch in the face, which is what we wanted it to be. Though adding more thrash elements into a few of the songs helps the whole album sound more hostile, it’s ultimately the production that makes them sound more aggressive. On the last few records it didn’t matter how aggressive the riffs we wrote were, whenever we went into the studio at the end they just didn’t sound as intense.”

In tracking the record at Sneap’s UK studio, as much as possible the band recorded long takes rather than clinically piecing things together, determined to give the album as much life as they could.“Fredrik [Andersson] recorded all the drums live, with the guys playing guitars and bass along with him to get the groove of it, and that makes for the energy that you don’t get when everyone records separately, and I think that really comes across,” Hegg states. “I think that was a very good way to record for us, it gave everyone a better feel of each song, and it was a good time being in the studio and laying it all down.”

Deceiver of the Gods will be released in North America via Metal Blade Records June 25th, in Europe June 21st/24th, and in Japan on June 26th.

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